Shohei Ohtani has made headlines over the past week for one thing apart from his once-in-a-lifetime talents on the baseball discipline. A latest piece by ESPN indicated that the Los Angeles Dodgers fired Ohtani’s longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, after it was found that a minimum of $4.5 million made its approach from Ohtani’s checking account to a bookmaker in California, one of many few remaining states the place playing stays unlawful.
On Monday, Ohtani lastly spoke to the media relating to the saga, as he learn a ready assertion however didn’t take questions from the media.
Shohei Ohtani states he has by no means guess on baseball or every other sport, and publicly accuses former translator Ippei Mizuhara of stealing from him and mendacity pic.twitter.com/zjapF6o07K
— Terrible Asserting (@awfulannouncing) March 25, 2024
Shohei Ohtani stated Ippei Mizuhara by no means advised him reporters had reached out in regards to the financial institution transfers.
Stated Mizuhara advised Ohtani’s reps that Ohtani had paid his money owed.
“All of this has been an entire lie,” Ohtani stated.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 25, 2024
Shohei Ohtani: “I by no means agreed to repay the debt or make funds to the bookmaker.”
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 25, 2024
“I by no means guess on baseball or every other sports activities, or by no means have requested someone to do it on my behalf,” Ohtani stated by an interpreter. “And I’ve by no means went by a bookmaker to guess on sports activities … Up till a pair days in the past, I didn’t know that this was occurring … In conclusion, Ippei has been stealing cash from my account and has advised lies.”
Ohtani went on to say that he’s helping in investigations into the matter.
The reigning AL MVP, Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels this offseason to signal a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers. Previous to the discharge of the ESPN story on Mizuhara’s playing issues, Mizuhara sat down with ESPN for a 90-minute interview wherein he “laid out his account in nice element,” whereas a spokesperson for Ohtani stated he floated the cash to cowl his playing money owed. This telling of the occasions was, simply previous to publication, “disavowed” by the spokesperson, whereas a press release was launched by way of Ohtani’s authorized illustration.
“In the middle of responding to latest media inquiries, we found that Shohei has been the sufferer of an enormous theft, and we’re turning the matter over to the authorities,” the assertion learn.